USM PENANG, 12 May 2026 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), through the Centre for Innovation and Consultation (PIP), today collaborated with the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) to organise the Empowerment Programme for Technology Transfer Offices, Higher Education Institutions, Northern Zone at Sains@USM.

The programme was specially organised to enhance the skills of Technology Transfer Offices, better known as TTOs, in strengthening the country's intellectual property commercialisation ecosystem.

Present to officiate the programme was MyIPO Director General, Yusnieza Syarmila Yusoff.

In her speech, Yusnieza said the programme was designed not only to improve the technical understanding of intellectual property, but also to strengthen strategic thinking practices among participants on how intellectual property can be leveraged as an instrument for institutional and national growth.

"Collaboration with universities, research centres, and TTOs is very important. We need to build a mutually complementary ecosystem, where academia generates ideas and technology, industry provides market pathways, and government agencies strengthen policy and strategic support," she said.

Meanwhile, USM Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Professor Dr. Habibah A Wahab, said in her speech that cooperation between USM and MyIPO is not new, and that this close relationship is highly important in helping the university strengthen awareness, capacity, and capabilities related to intellectual property management.

She added that every year, MyIPO assists university researchers through patent self-drafting workshops that provide exposure to the importance of patent protection for pioneering technologies successfully developed by USM.

"I believe this cooperation and support from MyIPO benefits not only USM, but also all universities, industries, and organisations present today," she added.

The programme also included sharing sessions on patent searching, freedom to operate, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in patent analysis, an industry-university collaboration forum, and an introduction to patent analytics for participants.

The programme also offered the Patent2U Clinic, where MyIPO provided five advisory service counters managed by MyIPO patent examining officers, with 41 consultation session applications received so far.

Also present were MyIPO Deputy Director General (Commercial), Dr. Kamarul Faizal Hashim; MyIPO Deputy Director General (Operations), Razhuan Hussin; PIP USM Director, Professor Dr. Mohd. Hazwan Hussin; and senior officers from USM and MyIPO.

Original Text: Nur Farrah Ezlin Mohd Suhaimi/Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin/Photo: Centre for Innovation and Consultation (PIP), USM